A tsunami alert has been issued after a massive earthquake struck off the east coast of Australia.
The 7.0 magnitude quake hit near New Caledonia’s Loyalty Islands on Monday at 9.43am, local time.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) said ‘hazardous tsunami waves’ were possible within 300km of the epicenter.
The agency later reported that ‘tsunami waves had been observed’ and issued the alert for New Caledonia and Vanuatu.
The 7.0 magnitude quake hit near the Loyalty Islands in New Caledonia on Monday morning
Waves as high as one meter above the high-tide mark are forecast to hit New Caledonia, with smaller waves expected in Vanuatu.
The actual size of the waves will vary depending on the coastline, with barrier reefs reducing wave height. The PTWC warned the initial wave may not be the largest.
The quake was centred 68km north-east of Tadine at a depth of 10km and was followed by another measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale just minutes later.
‘Government agencies responsible for threatened coastal areas should take action to inform and instruct any coastal populations populations at risk,’ the PTWC said.
Waves as high as one meter above the high-tide mark are forecast to hit New Caledonia. Pictured is the capital of the French territory, Noumea
‘Persons in threatened coastal areas should stay alert for information and follow instructions from national and local authorities.’
Wayan Rigault, communications manager at Hotel Nengone Village on the island of Mare, which is the closest landmass to the epicenter, said he was waiting for instructions.
‘We are a little bit scared, we have had an earthquake last night and today it was quite a big one,’ he said
Rigault said there was no immediate damage, but guests were on alert for a formal evacuation warning.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre has said ‘tsunami waves had been observed’. Pictured is The Isle of Pines in New Caledonia
Vanuatu’s National Disaster Management Office advised people in southern provinces to evacuate coastal areas for higher ground.
New Caledonia’s civil security agency said it was still compiling data, and was not planning to evacuate immediately.
There is no tsunami threat to the coastlines of Australia, New Zealand or Hawaii, according to authorities.
The quake comes just a day after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck about 70km east of the Loyalty Islands.
The quake was centred 68km north-east of Tadine at a depth of 10km and was followed by another measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale just minutes later (stock image)